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As the Y2K trend rages on, moodboards can be found papered with images of Kate Moss in her Topshop Jonis, Alexa Chung in her Cheap Mondays, and Agyness Deyn in her American Apparels. But amid all the discourse surrounding the return of the skinny jean, rarely has there been a mention of Kate Middleton and her Massimo Duttis. Which is, perhaps, surprising—unlike her millennial contemporaries, here is a woman for whom drainpipes never quite fell out of fashion. Whether as a St Andrews graduate at the Gatcombe horse trials in 2005, a duchess visiting Lake Windermere in 2021, or as a Queen-in-waiting on a trip to the Isle of Mull, Kate’s favored style of denim has been an ambient presence in just about every casual outfit she has ever been photographed in.
The Princess was this afternoon helicoptered into the Scottish fishing port as she and Prince William began a two-day visit to the Inner Hebrides. She was dressed in Massimo Dutti slim-fit jeans—what else?—sensible hiking boots, a chambray Boden shirt, and a double-breasted Holland Cooper jacket in herringbone tweed. Bagpipes skirled and townspeople cheered not merely to welcome the return of the Lord and Lady of the Isles—as they are officially known when in situ—but also to celebrate 14 years since the couple were married in Westminster Abbey. That much was obvious, of course, from Kate’s deployment of jewels: a $7,000 Cartier Ballon Bleu stainless steel watch, thought to have been a gift from William on their third wedding anniversary in 2014, decorated the princess’s wrist.
But Kate and Wills will have to wait a short while before being able to mark their anniversary just the two of them. Alongside meet-and-greets with local artisans and herds of Hebridean sheep, the duo is set to announce the provision of two grants on behalf of the Royal Foundation, enabling the renovation of two community halls. It’s the latest example of the couple’s ambitions to bring lasting impact to royal engagements. While such trips have traditionally involved members of the monarchy sweeping into towns and villages throughout the U.K.—greeting crowds, taking photos with babies, cutting ribbons—the Prince and Princess of Wales have set about establishing a new model focused on generating funds for local communities. These are royals with a touch of pragmatism—telegraphed, naturally, through denim.
